Braiding machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1947 WHHZH HMH KOL "VINCE pm-10W A TT0 March 22, 1949.

v. G. SOKOL 2,464,899

BRAIDING MACHINE I Filed Feb. 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 22, 1949. v. e. SOKOL 2,454,399

BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INV NTOR WNCENT OKOL -ATTORHEY I Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICE- Application February 4134;278:2182! No. 726,283 I 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to braiding machines and particularly to machines of the type in which two sets of bobbin or yarn reel carriers travel in opposite directions about a common axis with the yarn or strands leading from the reels to the axis of rotation. g

The invention has for its salient object to provide a simple and practical braiding machine of the character described and a machine 'thatcan be economically manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described comprising a minimum number of parts that are positively and accurately controlled in their operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having simple, practical and novel means for driving the bobbin or yarn reel carriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having simple and practical means for guiding the yarn during the brading operation.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken through one edge of the machine, showing particularly the finger control mechanism for controlling the fingers which operate to move or drive the inner bobbin carriers in a circular path;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through one of the yarn guiding tubes for guiding the yarn from the outer set of bobbin carriers. taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. '1, lookmg in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation through the machine;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional elevation taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view, on'an enlarged scale, of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1, illustrating on an enlarged scale two of the inner set of bobbin or reel carriers and the driving mechanism therefor;

Fig. 'l is an enlarged sectional elevation taken substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a detail elevational view illustrating one of the brackets for the pivoted fingers which drives the bobbin carriers of the inner set;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view taken at right angles to Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view partly diagrammatic and showing in perspective the yarn guiding means and the path of the yarn or strand led from oneof the outer set of bobbin carriers;

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of one of the supporting blocks for the upper sectional plate; and

Fig. 12 is a front elevational view showing the cam groove for controlling the feeding fingers.

The invention briefly described consists of a braiding machine having an inner set of bobbin or reel carriers and an outer set of bobbin or reel carriers, the carriers of the two sets being movable in opposite directions about a common axis. The carriers of the inner set are independently mounted for sliding movement in a circular path about the axis of the machine and are moved in this circular path by means of fingers. The yam from the outer set of carriers is guided alternately inside and outside of the path of movement of the inner carriers and the finger feeding means for the inner set of carriers is so constructed and arranged as to continuously feed these carriers in a circular path but to avoid interference with or engagement with the yarn guiding means for the outer set of carriers. Further details of the invention will appear from. the following description.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the machine comprises a circular frame 20 supported on vertical posts 2 I, which in turn are mounted in a suitable base not shown.

In the frame 20 there is mounted an annular channeled ring 22 which forms the main sup ort for the braid ng machine. In the channel of the annular frame 22 there is mounted an annular ball bearing 23. on which is supported an annular ring or plate 24 having an upwardly extending flange 25 and on the upper end of, the flange 25 a laterally extending flange or plate 26. The upper surface of the flat ring or plate 24 has a groove 21 in which is mounted a ball bearing 28, and on the upper race of the ball bearing 28 there is mounted a fiat ring or plate 29.

The channeled ring 22 has secured thereto a I bracket 30 having a bearing 3! in which is mountthe ring or plate 24 and which also meshes with an annular bevel gear 36 secured to the under I 3 surface of the flat ring or plate 26. It will be obvious, therefore, that the ring 24 will be driven in one direction and the ring 26 will be driven in the opposite direction by the gear 64.

On the upper surface of the annular ring or plate 26 there are mounted a plurality of vertical brackets or supporting blocks 46. These brackets or blocks 46, as shown particularly in Fig. 11, have a base 4| which is secured to the upper surface of the ring or plate 26 and each of these blocks has a laterally projecting portion 42, a downwardly extending recess 46, and an inwardly extending notch or recess 44. To the upper surface of the blocks or brackets .46 there is secured an annular ring or plate comprising an outer section 45 and an inner section 46, these sections being separated by an annular slot 41 which is intersected by a plurality of radially extending slots 46. The slots 46 are provided to permit the movement of the yarn guiding tube for the outer series of bobbin carriers in a manner hereinafter described. The inner section 46 of the upper supporting plate or ring is secured in the manner shown in Fig. 7 to the upper surface of the projection 42 of the block or bracket 46. The section 45 of the ring is secured to the upper surface of the portion 46 of the block 46. The purpose of the recess 46 will be hereinafter described.

The section 45 of the upper supporting plate has secured thereto, adjacent its periphery, a plurality of bobbin or reel receiving spindles-56 on which are mounted bobbins or reels of yarn or other suitable material to be braided. The bobbin carriers 5| are fixed to the supporting plate section 45 and are annularly rotated since the supporting plate comprising the sections 45 and 46 is fixed to the posts or brackets 46, which in turn are fixed to the lower plate comprising sections 24, 25 and 26.

A second set of bobbin carriers is mounted to slide on the upper supporting plate comprising sections 45 and 46, these carriers being individually mounted and supported in the following manner. Each of the carriers comprises a triangular shaped bracket 55 having a spindle 66 for supporting the bobbin or reel, and each bracket 65 is supported on a plate 51 which is slidably mounted on the upper surface of the supporting plate 45. 46.

Each plate 41 has secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, a plurality of pins or posts 56, three posts being illustrated, and these posts being disposed on an are about the axis of rotatio'n of the braiding mechanism. At the lower ends of the posts 56 there is secured a Plate 66 which is disposed beneath the upper support- 8 plate 45, 46. The pins or posts '58 extend downwardly through the annular slot 41 formed between the sections 45 and 46. If desired, as shown in Fig. 5, sleeves 6| may be mounted on the pins or posts 56 between the plates 51 and 66.

Each of the plates 66 has extending downwardly from the under surface thereof, two sets of lugs, each set comprising a pair of lugs 65 and 66. It will be noted particularly from the showing in Fig. 6 that these lugs are arcuately arranged and are disposed at the ends of the plates 66. The notch or recess 46 in the blocks 46 is provided to receive the lugs during the annular feeding movement of the inner set of bobbin carriers.

The inner set of bobbin carriers are rotated in the following manner. On the upper surface of the flat ring or plate 26 there are secured for each of the inner set of bobbin carriers, a pair of each of the brackets being bifurcated at its upper end and having a pivot pin 1| in which is pivoted an L-shaped finger 12. The outer ends of the finger 12 are adapted when in their operative position to be positioned between one set of the lugs 65, 66 and since the fingers are carried by the rotatable plate 26 these fingers will rotate with the plate and when in operative position will cause the bobbin carriers to move in a circular path about the axis of rotation of the braiding machine.

The fingers 12 are controlled in their pivotal position by means of an annular cam 16 which is secured to the under surface of the section 46 of the upper plate and is so designed as to swing the fingers alternately from the operative position shown in Fig. 7 to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 2. However, this cam, in coaction with the roller 14 carried by the downwardly extending arm 15 of the finger 12, is so designed that when one finger for one of inner set of bobbin carriers is disposed in inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2, another finger is disposed in operative position, as shown in Fig. 7. In other words, viewing Fig. 6, when one of the fingers 12 moves out of engagement between the lugs and 66 at one end of the plate 66, the other finger controlling the movement of this plate has moved into operative position between the lugs at the other end of the plate, thus providing for continuous annular feeding movement of the inner set of bobbin carriers.

The reason for providing two fingers for each carrier and for pivotally moving these fingers into and out of operative position, will now be explained.

In order to braid the strands which are drawn from the inner and outer sets of bobbins, the strands from the outer set of bobbins are guided alternately inside and outside of the inner set of bobbins. This is accomplished by means of a guiding tube 66 for each of the bobbins or outer set. The lower end of each tube 66 is mounted in the bracket 6|, to which is secured a pivot spindle 62 which extends through one of the brackets or blocks 46 and has secured to its outer end a spring 66 arranged to swing the tube in an anticlockwise direction, viewing Fig. 7, or toward the axis of rotation of the braiding mechanism. The bracket 6| has mounted therein a roller or sleeve 65, the sleeve being mounted on the lower end of the tube 66. The sleeve 65 is held by the spring 66 in engagement with a cam 61 which is formed on the outer edge of the plate or ring 26. This cam is so designed that the yarn guide tubes 66 move alternately from one end of the slot 46 to the other end thereof, this movement being so designed that the guiding tube moves transversely in the slot from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 7 each time one of the bobbins of the inner set passes the slot 46.

From the showing in Fig. 2 it will be clear that in order to permit the annular movement of the outer set of bobbin carriers and of the yarn tubes 66, the fingers 12 must be moved to inoperative position when the tubes are disposed in the inner ends of the slots 46.

The passage of the strands or yarn from the outer bobbins is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 10. Each of the outer bobbin carriers is provided with a frame comprising upright guiding members 66 and 6|, the member 6| having an eye through which the yarn Y is led. From the eye 8i yarn is led downwardly through an opening 92 in the plate 45. From the opening 82 the yarn Y is led around a guide roll 93 mounted on the end of an arm 94 which is pivotally secured in a bracket 95 carried by the plate 28. A spring 96 is mounted on the pivot spindle of the arm 94 and tends to swing this spindle in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 10, thus providing for taking up slack in the yarn. From the roller 93 the yarn is led upwardly and around a roller 91 secured to the under surface of the plate section 45 and thence downwardly and around a roll 98 which is mounted in the bracket 99 secured to the upper'surface of the plate 26. From the roll 98 the yarn is led into the tube 80.

The machine. above described was designed particularly for braiding the strands or yarn into a tube around a centrally disposed core 100. This core, which may consist of a wire or tube or any other desired element to be covered, is led upwardly through a die llil centrally supported in arms I02 which are mounted on posts 2|.

The yarn from the outer set of yarn carriers 50 is led through the tubes 80 in'the manner above described, and thence to the central core I00, in the manner shown in Fig. 4. The yarn from the inner set of yarn carriers is led through the usual yarn guides Hi5 to the core l00.

, From the foregoing specification it will be evident that the braiding machine constructed in the manner described is simple and practical engageable with said carriers of the inner set for and comprises a minimum number of parts for i the operations performed. Furthermore, the

bobbin carriers of the inner set of bobbins are at all times positively controlled in their movement and the yarn guides for the yarn from the outer bobbins are so controlled in their movements that the operation of the yarn guides and the feeding mechanism for the inner set of bob-- bins will not interfere with each other.

Attention is also calledtothe fact that the direction of rotation of the parts can be reversed,

departing from the spirit'or scope of the invention. as expressed in the following claims. What I claim is:

1. In a braiding machine, a rota able support-.

ing plate having an outer set of bobbin: carriers fixedly mounted above saidplate in a circle about.

the axis of rotation of said plate, said plate, having a circular slotdisposed within thecircle of the outer set of bobbin carriers, an inners'et of bobbin carriers mounted above said plate independently in said slot, means for rotating said plate in one direction, and means including fingers engageable with said carriers of the inner operative position.

moving said carriers around said slot in a direction opposite to thedirection of movement of the supporting plate and outer carriers, and yarn guiding means for the outer set of bobbin carriers movable alternately across said slot for guiding ,the yarn alternately inside and outside of the path of movement of said carriers of the inner set.

3 In a braiding machine, a rotatable supporting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers fixedly mounted in upright position on said plate in a circle about the axis of rotation of said plate, said plate having a circular slot disposed within the circle of the outer set of bobbin carriers, an inner set of bobbin carriers mounted independently in said slot inupright position on said plate,

means for rotating said plate in one direction, and means including fingers engageable with said carriers of the inner set for moving said carriers around said slot in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the supporting plate and outer carriers.

4. -In a braiding machine, a rotatable supporting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers fixedly mounted above said plate and in a circle about the axis of rotation of said plate, said plate having a circular slot disposed within the circle of the outer set of bobbin carriers, an inner set of bobbin carriers mounted independently in said slot, means for rotating said plate in one direction, means including a pair of fingers adapted to operatively engage and feed each of said indeing said fingers to operative and inoperative positions, said finger moving means being so designed that one of said pair of fingers will always be in .5. In a braiding machine, a rotatable supporting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers fixedly mounted thereon in a circle concentric with the axis of rotation ofsaid plate, an inner set of bobbin carriers slidably .mounted on said plate and movable in a circular path disposed set for moving said carriers on said plate around said slot in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the supporting plate and outer carriers.

2. In a braiding machine, a rotatable supportting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers withinthe outer set of carriers, means for guiding the yarn from the bobbins of the outer set alternately inside and outside the bobbins of the inner set, a second rotatable plate, means carried by said second plate for rotating the bobbin carriers of the inner set on said first plate, and means on said second plate for controlling said yarn guiding means.

6. In a braiding machine, a rotatable supporting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers fixedly mounted thereon in a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of said plate, an inner set of bobbin carriers slidably mounted on said plate and movable in a circular path disposed within the outer set of carriers, means for guidingthe yarn from the bobbins of the outer set alternately inside and outside the bobbins of the inner set, a second rotatable plate, means carried by said second plate for rotating the bobbin carriers of the inner set on said first plate, means on said second plate for controlling said yarn guiding means, and means 'on said first plate for controlling the operation of the means for rot'at- 'ing the bobbin carriers of the inner set.

, 7. In a braiding machine, a rotatable supporting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers fixedly mounted thereon in a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of said plate, an inner set of bobbin carriers slidably mounted on said plate and movable in a circular path disposed within the outer set of carriers, means for guid- 7 7 ing the yarn from the bobbins oi the outer set alternately inside and outside the bobbins o! the inner set, a second rotatable plate. means including-a pair of alternately operating feeding fingers for each bobbin carrier carried by said second plate for rotating the bobbin carriers of the inner set on said first plate, and means on said second plate for controlling said yarn guiding means.

8. In a braiding machine, a rotatable supporting plate having an outer set of bobbin carriers fixedly mounted thereon in a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of said plate, an inner set of bobbin carriers slldably mounted on said plate and movable in a circular path disposed within the outer set of carriers, means for guiding the yarn from the bobbins oi the outer set alternately inside and outside the bobbins of the v inner set, a second rotatable plate, means includ* ing a pairof alternately operating feeding fin- 0 gers for each bobbin carrier carried by said second plate for rotating the bobbin-carriers oi the innerset on said first plate, means on said second plate for controlling said yarn guiding mean. and means on the iirst plate for controlling the operation of said feeding lingers.

Number vmcau'r a. soxon REFERENCES CITED The iolloyving references are of record in the (lie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

